Paul Hollywood thinks new Great Celebrity Bake Off judge 'played the trump card'
'Bake Off' star Paul Hollywood has opened up on Dame Prue Leith's replacement in the tent.
Paul Hollywood says new 'Great Celebrity Bake Off' judge Caroline Waldegrave "played the trump card from the off".
The new judge - whose official title is Lady Waldegrave of North Hill - is replacing close friend Dame Prue Leith on the upcoming celebrity series, and Paul joked she's already got one up on her predecessors.
He told Channel 4: "Following in the footsteps of Dame Mary Berry and Dame Prue Leith, we have a Lady, so she's played the trump card from the off.
"From an aristocracy point of view, she's beaten the other two.
"We were gonna call her Lady, but she said: 'No, no, no! I don't want to be called Lady!' "
Caroline is the former co-owner and managing director of Leiths School of Food and Wine, as well as co-writing several cookery books including Leiths Easy Dinner Parties and Leiths Cookery Bible.
Now, she has replaced her pal following Prue's exit from the celebrity series, but Paul insists she has settled right in.
He said: "Initially there were nerves. You're dealing with Alison, who's like a bouncing ball. Noel, who's been around since medieval times and me, who's been here since the year dot with 'Bake Off'...
"It's quite daunting, but Caroline's knowledge is unsurpassable. Within the first couple of hours, she'd settled right in.
"We're all pretty open and get on with everybody in the tent whoever joins us. There's a sort of collective hug."
And Paul gave her the same advice he's given to everyone joining the 'Bake Off' team on screen.
He added: "The only thing I've ever said to Prue and everybody is: 'Just be yourself, just be as natural as possible, just be your normal off-camera self on camera.'
"I always try to be that. The guy people meet on camera is exactly the same guy you meet off camera... although there's a slight difference because I'm not eating cake!"
'The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer' stars on Sunday (16.03.25) on Channel 4, with the likes of Kate Garraway and Amelia Dimoldenberg taking part.
